But Austin's Mr Dutton, who works for a gourmet popcorn company, is taking it in its stride. When someone suggested "Mate. It's anyone's game at the moment over here. Come try out for Prime Minister?" he said he was "packing his bags".

"We could use a 30yo black man as prime minister instead of the ratbags we're stuck with now," said one.

"You would totally be welcome to come down and take over. You can stay at my place until they have the official residence ready for you," John Nicolay said.

"I've now found a place to stay. Australians are my newest cousins," Mr Dutton replied.

The Texan is not the first Yank to find themselves unceremoniously yanked into Mr Dutton's political orbit.